The Sophia Lichtjesdiner Lights the Way to Genetic Patches
On Saturday 7 December, the ninth edition of the Sophia Lichtjesdiner took place, a benefit gala organised for and by the “Friends of Sophia”. This year, our department had the unique opportunity to present one of our research lines during the auction.
During a spectacular evening in the Laurenskerk, Ype Elgersma told the 400-strong audience about the “genetic patches” that he, together with Annelot van Esbroeck and their research team, wants to develop. With an efficient screening pipeline, they hope to develop personalized antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs, a form of RNA therapy) to treat ultra-rare developmental disorders. After a pitch of only two minutes, the auctioneer encouraged the audience to show their support by raising their hands. “As many hands as possible in the air for 25,000 euros per hand”, after which dozens of hands went up in the air.
This year, the Lichtjesdiner reached a record amount of 1.7 million euros! Of this amount, an impressive 500,000 euros has been reserved for the development of the “genetic patches” by Ype and Annelot. Thanks to this support, they can further develop their pipeline for personalized ASOs in the coming years. “This is not only support for research into innovative therapies, but also hope for parents and children for whom no other options are currently available,” says Ype.
